Kenya’s Haiti Deployment Is Scoring Victories

Kenya's deployment of its police officers to Haiti has quickly produced a number of significant victories in Haiti's fight against the gangs that are plaguing the nation with violence. Kenya's police, the head of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, have concentrated their operations in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, where gangs control large portions of the city..Progress in Security.After arriving in Haiti on June 25th, Kenya's police deployment has seen a number of successful operations in assisting their Haitian counterparts in reestablishing control over the nation that has been torn apart by a myriad of gangs. Within Port-au-Prince, a joint operation between Kenya and Haiti managed to take back the Autorite Portuaire Nationale, the port of Port-au-Prince..The port, vital for the entry of food, medicine, and other essential supplies, was captured by gangs approximately five months ago, on March 6th. The gangs had been preventing the entry of humanitarian aid and general supplies, creating significant issues throughout Haiti, including food insecurity..The joint operation took control of the port after the gangs residing there attempted to repulse the advancing force with gunfire. A firefight ensued, which ended in the gang members surrendering to the police and the police securing the port..The firefight marked the first time that Kenyan police and Haitian gang member have directly engaged each other since the deployment began..One of the vehicles the Kenyan officers used during the operation, a US-supplied MaxxPro Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) armored vehicle, broke down while in use. Kenyan officers trained as mechanics managed to fix the vehicle in the street and resume the operation. The vehicle has since been stored at a police station in Port-au-Prince, and it is unclear if the MSS still intends to use the particular vehicle in the future..No casualties among either the Haitian or Kenyan police were announced. It is also unclear if any gang members were killed or wounded in the fighting..Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille is expected to visit the area of the port in the coming days after police conclude operations to ensure the port is fully secure, and that no gangs remain in the area..On the same day, PM Conille declared a state of emergency in 14 different Haitian municipalities, all of which are controlled by gangs, in order to enhance the tools at the disposal of Haiti's police force to carry out operations in the affected areas.."Remember that I have always told you that Haiti will not perish and will not lose this battle." -Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille.Kenya's deployment, initially comprised of 400 police officers, was bolstered last week on Tuesday after 200 more officers deployed..At the moment Kenya is the only nation of the MSS to have contributed officers. However, Jamaica currently has a team of six representatives in the country in order to resolve any remaining logistical issues for their deployment and determine their best approach..Besides Kenya and Jamaica, Belize, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bangladesh, Benin, and Chad have also pledged forces to the mission. Kenya forms the core of the mission, deploying 1,000 police and acting as the head of the mission, whereas the other nations will collectively deploy 1,500 officers, bringing the mission total up to 2,500 troops. The deployment is expected to last at least a year, though there is a possibility it will be extended. Earlier in the year, Canada deployed 70 military personnel to Jamaica in order to train officers from Jamaica, Belize, and the Bahamas for the mission. A significant portion of the equipment being used has been supplied by the US..Besides the port, the MSS two weeks ago managed to secure the University Hospital in Port-au-Prince, a hospital that had been closed since March after gangs took control of the area. The hospital is Haiti's largest, and is reported to have been ravaged by the gangs, with much of its equipment and beds stripped, and bullet holes riddling the walls..PM Conille visited the hospital after it was wrested from the control of the gangs, evidencing the increased security in the area. Given the state the gangs left the building in, it will take time to fix it. It is expected to be fully operational again by February 2026..Words from the Gangs.Prior to the deployment of the MSS, the leader of the most prominent gang in Haiti, Jimmy 'Barbecue' Cherizier of the G9 Alliance (an association of different gangs that is headed by Cherizier), had spoken out against any foreign deployments..Cherizier had vowed to combat any foreign deployment in the nation, claiming that boots on the ground would lead to a "massacre.".Further, Cherizier made consistent, and somewhat successful efforts to delay the deployment. Attacks by Cherizier's gangs successfully forced the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry in May after the G9 attacked the airport in Port-au-Prince, preventing PM Henry from returning to the country after he had travelled to Kenya in order to sign security deals to facilitate the mission..PM Henry's resignation, the absence of which Cherizier claimed would cause a "civil war that will lead to a genocide," successfully delayed the MSS by several weeks as Haiti scrambled to form a new government..After the appointment of PM Conille, and the deployment of the MSS, Cherizier has slightly changed his tune, instead calling for dialogue with the PM, claiming political forces from previous administrations are attempting to manipulate him into disarming the population.."We need dialogue today, Prime Minister. Prove to the world that you can make history as someone who did not contribute to the destruction of the country by distributing guns in poor neighbourhoods but who now pacifies the country. I haven't heard anyone with guns say you were the one who armed them. Don't listen to traditional politicians who armed the country to destabilize previous governments and now want you to take back the guns by force. You can be the one to bring peace, retrieve the guns, organize elections, and set the country on the right path. We love this country and want change. If you come for change, we will stay out of your way. But if you do the same things, our guns are already in our hands." -Jimmy 'Barbecue' Cherizier.PM Conille has rejected dialogue with the gangs, stating he will not negotiate with the gangs after the continual violence perpetrated by them..Since the deployment of the MSS, the G9 has withdrawn from a few areas, although it should be noted that Cherizier has not withdrawn his threats to attack the MSS, as was evidenced by the firefight for the port.